| • | organism - Treponema carateum |
| • | morphologically and antigenically identical to T. pallidum |
| • | (therefore use same tests to diagnose – VDRL, FTA-ABS) |
| • | exclusively in South and Central America |
| • | clinical signs and symptoms are limited to the skin |
| • | end-stage lesions are porcelain-white macules |
Non-venereal treponemal infections
| • | spread by direct contact |
| • | predominantly a disease of underprivileged children |
| • | both diagnosed clinically and by reactive serologic tests for syphilis |
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